Amnesia
by kisukebenihime
Summary: Itachi and Sakura are madly in love. Heck, they're planning on getting married in the near future. So, what's the problem? Sakura can't remember a thing. ON HOLD!
1. Chapter 1

**Mission**

**(A/N: **This is something I decided to work on until I get some ideas for 'Serpentine Child'. I'm not giving up on it… I just can't think of any new ideas yet.)

**Summary: **Itachi and Sakura are madly in love. Heck, they planned on getting married in the near future. So, what's the problem? Sakura can't remember a thing. AU, non-massacre. Rated T for violence, language and mild adult content.

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Naruto or any of it's characters. If I did… well, let's just say, you wouldn't be seeing me on here.

~xxx~

Four figures dashed through the trees, trying desperately to outrun the enemy. It was a set up -the whole damn mission was a set up. The team was supposed to present a peace treaty with the Rock village _but _someone had other ideas.

"Inuzuka, Akimichi, flank right and hold them off. Haruno-san must return unharmed." The pearly-eyed Hyuuga commanded.

"Damn it Neji, just because Itachi threatened to castrate you if I got hurt doesn't mean I can't fight too!" Sakura snapped, leaping to avoid another kunai. She had a point. Sakura hadn't used any chakra yet, making her the best suited for a fight… but Itachi would have his head if Sakura was scratched, even in the slightest.

"No, Sakura." He said in a clam yet firm tone. "The mission is over and I'm in charge now. Do as I say and keep up." Neji motioned with two finger for the others to follow his command. As ANBU captain and mission leader, Neji had final say. Kiba and Choji did as they were told.

Neji slowed to a halt, scanning with Byakugan eyes for the enemy. Seeing none, he turned to Sakura with a frown. They had been bickering back and forth the whole time, six days to be exact. Why? Because Itachi had made it abundantly clear that if anything were to happen to her, Neji would cease to exist. Now, in the mists of battle, Neji was going to keep good on his promise to the kunoichi's fiancée… whether she liked it or not.

"I hope the others are alright." Sakura said, keeping her eyes on the path they emerged from. The pair stood in a clearing about 50 miles north-east of the village. So close to home, yet so far.

"We will wait for them at the river, come Sakura." Neji spoke as he turned away and started walking.

"But what if they're injured and can't make it?" typical Sakura, always worrying for others.

"Have faith in their skills Sakura. They will be fine." He told her as he glanced over his shoulder. But before he could take another step an ominous, dark chakra surged just ahead of them. Rushing footsteps sounded around them, cutting off any and all escape. "It seems, Sakura, you've got your wish." Neji said then flipped backward and landed next to her.

They were surrounded on all sides by clones… dozens of them. With his Byakugan, Neji discovered that none of them were the real one.

"Which one is it Neji?" Sakura asked her back against his.

"None of them." He answered keeping his eyes on the clones. Sakura growled, she was scared and she'd be the first to admit that, emerald eyes scanned the enemy. For some odd reason the memory of Itachi's proposal played in her mind.

_~flashback~_

_Itachi stood with Sakura at their favorite meeting place, the hilltop overlooking the village. Sasuke and their parents were with them but a distance away from the couple. Mikoto had invited Sakura along on a family picnic (she was practically family anyway). At this point in time she and Itachi had been together for a while. Not everyone agreed at first but they soon came around to the idea (Sasuke being the hardest to convince)._

'Itachi looks nervous.' _Sakura thought as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Well, she could tell. Anyone else would say that he looked the same but Sakura could see his lips pressing to a thin line, the slight furrow of his brows and his hands were slightly clammy. "Itachi, is something wrong?" _

_Drawn from his musings, Itachi turned and shook his head. Giving her a gentle smile, Itachi squeezed her hand. "How long have we been together, Sakura?" he asked softly. _

'Oh God… please don't tell me he's going to break this off.' _She thought frantically. "Two years." She answered evenly despite her fear. _

"_How would you feel about make that the rest of our lives?" his smooth baritone beckoned._

_Sakura blinked as Itachi lowered to one knee before her. "What?" she asked belatedly, not believing that the powerful ABNU captain on his knees for her. Faintly, she heard Mikoto give a squeak of excitement._

"_Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?" _

"_SHANNARU!!" she exclaimed and tackled Itachi to the ground, showering the stunned shinobi with kisses._

_~end flashback~_

Sakura snapped out of her musings in time to duck and landed a solid kick to the clone's abdomen. The clone disappeared with a poof as Sakura spun to see Neji fighting just fine.

"Keeps your eyes on your opponent, little girl." A voice sneered. Sakura turned and met a huge fist, sending her flying into the side of an abnormally large tree. Her head smacked against the bark with a sickening thud. Neji had stopped the nuke-nin from doing any further damage. Kiba and Choji had arrived in the nick of time, allowing Neji to look over Sakura.

Her vision was fading, her head was throbbing and her breath was erratic. "I'm sorry Itachi…" she whispered, not hearing Neji yelling for her to stay awake. She succumbed to the darkness and fell unconscious.

~xxx~

Itachi sat idly as the clan council members droned on and on about his upcoming marriage. Something didn't feel right, maybe it was just him… but Itachi couldn't shake the feeling that something bad had happened to Sakura. He closed his eyes and sighed softly.

'_It's been six days, you've gone four months without her before. Suck it up!' _his mind snapped. This was true but things had changed since he asked for her hand just three months ago. Sakura wanted a summer wedding so she could wear her mother's wedding dress and he had agreed. When he asked her about the dress, she clammed up and turned her head away. Itachi smiled suddenly, that day had been most memorable.

_~flashback~_

_They were having tea in the parlor when the topic came up. _

"_I want to wear my mother's dress." Sakura said quietly, gazing at her hands as they folded her napkin. "She would have wanted me to wear it." Sakura's mother and father had passed away from an illness no one could figure out. That was one of the reasons why she became a medic._

"_And the dress is suited best for which season?" he inquired placing a hand atop hers to keep them still and to offer some comfort._

"_The summer." She supplied with a smile knowing full well Itachi disliked the heat of summer. _

_His eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Pray tell, what does the dress look like?" Sakura blushed and turned her head away._

"_It's bad luck, 'Tachi-kun." She said crossing her arms over her chest with a huff._

"_What's bad luck?" Mikoto asked as she set down another pot of tea and sat down with her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law._

"_Sakura will not tell me what her dress looks like." Itachi deadpanned as he looked heatedly at his fiancée. Sakura leaned over then and whispered into Mikoto's ear, shielding her mouth from view with her hand. Mikoto was positively glowing with a motherly pried as she listened to the future matriarch. _

"_Oh, it sounds absolutely beautiful, Sakura." Mikoto gushed, clasping her hands together._

"_I'll show it to you tomorrow. I'm taking it to be cleaned." _

"_May I accompany you?" he asked suddenly._

"_Absolutely not." Mikoto said as she looked at her eldest son. "It's bad luck to see the bride's dress before the wedding." _

"_I thought it was bad luck to see the bride _in _her dress before the wedding." _

"_Both." The women responded as they glared at him. He never did see that dress._

_~end flashback~_

A sudden rustle brought Itachi back to reality as the shoji door was yanked open. Shisui stood panting in the doorway.

"Itachi," he gasped hunching over to catch his breath. "It's bad, Sakura's in the hospital." He said and looked up to see Itachi completely disappear from the room. He was push roughly out of the way by Sasuke as he ran down the hall.

~xxx~

"… by the time we got there, she was leaning against a tree barely breathing." Kiba explained to Tsunade when she came out of the OR. It was confirmed by Choji who gave a tight nod.

"Where is she?" Itachi's voice was as cold as ice, walking with purpose to stand in front of the Sannin.

"Sakura was just moved to a private room." She answered, her expression grim. "Come, I'll take you to her." Tsunade turned away and started walking. Itachi walked silently behind her, followed closely by Sasuke. When they entered the room Neji stood and bowed, excusing himself.

"You will tell me what happened later." Itachi said shooting a glare to the Hyuuga that would make the most hardened criminal shudder in fear. Neji took it in stride, he deserved it.

"Of course, Itachi-san. I'll wait for you outside." Neji bowed again and left the room. The click of the door signaled his retreat. Itachi looked over to the bed where a bandaged and bruised Sakura lay sleeping.

"Her injuries weren't that serious… that is all but her head injury." Tsunade said as she walked over to Sakura's bed and sat down. It was no secret that the Godaime saw Sakura as a surrogate daughter.

"What do you mean, Tsunade-sama?" it was Sasuke who asked for Itachi lost the will to speak as soon as he laid eyes on his fiancée.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her face with the palms of her hands. "Do to the force of her blow her head sustained, Sakura's temporal lobe was damaged. Thanks to Ino's knowledge of the brain, the damage was repaired but were still unsure of the effects it caused." She heaved another sigh.

"What effects are you talking about?" Itachi spoke, eyes never leaving the fragile figure on the bed.

"Her temporal lobe controls memory. We won't be sure of the effects until she wakes up." Tsunade explained. By now, Mikoto and Fugaku had arrived and stopped in the doorway.

"You're saying Sakura-chan may not remember us?" Mikoto asked, her face twisted in horror.

"I don't want to but it is a possibility." Itachi walked over to the bed sank into the nearby chair. He watched her chest rise and fall, paying no mind to the others in the room; his full attention was focused solely on Sakura.

"We'll leave you alone now." Everyone filed out of the room and waited outside.

"Itoshii hito…" Itachi whispered scooting the chair closer to the bed. Taking one of her small hands in his, Itachi kissed her fingers. He couldn't bare it, the thought of her not remembering him, their love, everything. It was just too much to hope for, for her to remember. If Itachi had the ability to cry he would have. But because he didn't, Itachi settled on being angry. Angry at Neji for not protecting her, angry at the man who did this to her and angry at himself for letting her go on this mission.

He stood then, bending over to place a kiss on her lips. "I promise I'll make it up to you." He said against her lips then left the room. "Hyuuga, come." He commanded coldly after closing the door to Sakura's room.

~xxx~

Emerald eyes came to life at four in the morning. The room was dark and it was damn cold. Sakura grabbed at the covers and pulled them up to her chin. Now her feet were cold, she had pulled too hard on the blankets. She scowled and pulled her feet up only to gasp as a searing pain shot up her spin. She screamed, loud and long. Nurses flooded her room, and forced her to lay back down.

"Stay clam, Forehead. You'll reopen your wounds." Ino hollered over the fuss of the agitated patient's roaring temper. And then her world turned upside down.

"Who the hell are you people! Let go of me!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Haruno Sakura, stop this immediately." A booming voice called from the door. All movement ceased as Tsunade strode into the room. Sakura stared, bewildered at the sight of the busty Hokage. "Everyone out!" three nurses and two orderlies left the room, closing the door as they went.

"What's going on? What happened? Who _are _you?" Sakura fired one question after another as Tsunade sat down with her.

"Let me ask you some questions and then I'll answer yours. Deal?" Sakura nodded and sat cross-legged on the bed. "Can you remember anything before you woke up?"

Sakura's face scrunched up in concentration as she tapped a finger to her chin. "I… I remember being in pain and… a man. There were six or seven of him and another man with long brown hair…" Sakura trailed off trying her hardest to remember more.

'_So, she remembers the mission, that's not surprising.' _Tsunade thought with a soft nod. "Can you remember anything before that?"

Itachi received an urgent message from Ino; Sakura was awake. He had to see her, so, he fled his home and headed for the hospital. Itachi stood outside the door as he heard Sakura and Tsunade talking. Sakura recalled what she could from the mission and little on anything else. Sakura began to speak again, not sounding like anything of her former self.

"I can't remember anything else except a name. Does 'Itachi' mean anything to you?" Itachi's heart stopped cold in his chest, his hand fell away from the doorknob.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Tsunade responded. "Itachi, get in here."

~xxx~

**A/N: Well, should I continue this or not? Please send me some feed back. Oh, itoshii hito means 'darling' in Japanese. Thanks a bunch.**


	2. Chapter 2

Dazed and Confused

(**A/N: **Hello. I would like to thank all of you who reviewed the first chapter. Your kind words and positive support are greatly appreciated. Again, I thank you. Now, back to the good stuff! Shannaru!!)

~xxx~

Itachi stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He walked towards the pair and sat down in the chair, all the while keeping his eyes on Sakura. She too, had kept her gaze on him. Confused emerald orbs eyed him cautiously as he sat down.

"Sakura, do you remember him?" Tsunade asked softly, watching the apparent staring competition.

Sakura's brow furrowed as she watched the man next to her lean forward in his seat. "I… I don't know." She whispered. Slowly, Itachi reached out to her but she shied away from his touch. Now it was Itachi's turn to furrow his brows.

"I won't hurt you. I could never…" he whispered and tried again. This time his fingers ghosted over her cheek, as if afraid she would break. A faint blush crept to her cheeks as she looked him in the eyes; eyes that were so sad at the moment.

"I'll give you two some time to get reacquainted, but not too much. She needs as much rest as possible." Tsunade said as she stood but they didn't seem to hear her, they just kept looking at each other. She left the room, waiting out side.

"I'm sorry… I can't remember anything before the mission." Sakura whispered, eyes brimming with tears. Itachi stood from the chair and sat on the bed. It was then that Sakura took in his appearance. Itachi was wearing a pair of dark blue sweatpants, a dark gray beater and… are those slippers? He obviously was in a hurry to see her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sakura." He spoke softly, his soothing baritone sang in her ears giving Sakura a kind of peace. Her tears fell on his hand.

"I want to remember, I really do but I can't think of anything." She sobbed as Itachi pulled onto his lap. Sakura stiffened in his hold and pulled away. Wrapping herself in the covers, Sakura backed up to the wall. "Who are you, exactly?"

Disheartened, Itachi stood from the bed. "I am Uchiha Itachi, your fiancée." He answered calmly. Sakura's eyes bugged out.

"You've got to be kidding me?" she whispered, mostly to herself. "When? How? H-huh?" she was so confused that her head started to hurt. Itachi helped her lay back down and tucked the blankets in around her. She was asleep before he reached the door.

"No luck either, I presume?" Tsunade asked as Itachi emerged from the room. He shook his head.

"I will return during normal visiting hours." He was gone before she could even blink.

~xxx~

Naruto streaked down the hospital hallway.

"WHERE IS SAKURA-CHAN?" he yelled, zipping passed patients, nurses and visitors in his search for his pink-haired best friend. He turned the corner and…

**BAM**

Naruto ran into someone. "Ah, I'm so sorry." He gushed as he stood… and stopped. Fugaku glared daggers with his Sharingan.

"Yes, you should be." He spat while standing. "You're here to see Sakura, are you not?"

"Yeah, is she ok?" he asked, eyes brimming with hope.

"Let's go dobe. And calm down, Sakura isn't well." Sasuke said from behind.

Of course, Itachi had arrived first along with Mikoto. Sakura was up, asking as many questions as possible. Itachi had already told his family about their earlier encounter and had them promise to be careful about what they told her. Tsunade said something along the same lines… just without the underlining threat of death. The door opened and Fugaku, Sasuke and Naruto walked in quietly.

Sakura looked over Mikoto's shoulder to see who had just walked in. "Hello." She said with a tiny wave but her eyes regarded them as if they were the enemy.

"Sakura this is Sasuke and Naruto. You've known them since your academy days." Mikoto said with a warm smile. "In fact, you met Itachi the same day you were assigned your genin team." Sakura's eyes widened, looking from Sasuke to Mikoto to Itachi with a sense of wonder. Then her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"We've been friends for so long and I can't remember any of you." She whispered, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying. "I feel so useless and weak."

"You're not weak, Sakura-chan." Naruto spoke as he walked forward. "You're the strongest, most kick-ass kunoichi I know." He was holding a large book in his hands that he had brought for her. "You made a lot of scrapbooks, I thought they might help." Naruto placed the book in her lap and took a step back.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend." Fugaku said with a tight nod.

"Sayonara Fugaku-sama, modoru sumukuru!" Sakura waved a little more enthusiastically. Fugaku gave her a nod and walked out of the room. Strange? Yes. Fugaku was not known to be a kind or caring man. Maybe it had something to do with the way Itachi glared at him.

"We have to get going too, Sakura-chan. We have a mission scheduled for this afternoon." The blonde beamed his 10,000 watt smile. "And when we get back, I'll treat you to ramen. How does that sound?"

"Ramen isn't good for you but since you're paying, how can I resist?" she responded with a shrug of her shoulders. Naruto stared at her, jaw hanging wide open. "What?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"You've always turned me down… I used to ask you out on dates all the time." He answered with a goofy grin.

"I'm engaged, baka! It's not a date-date!" she glared at him. It was a spark of the old Sakura but she didn't realize it.

_Smack!_

"I told you to cool it, dobe." Sasuke snapped. "We'll see you when we return." He pulled Naruto to the door. "Bye kaa-san, aniki." Itachi inclined his head while Mikoto giggled and waved in return.

~xxx~

"… so we've been friends since then?" Sakura was confused. Well, Ino was more confusing than finding out she was engaged to Mr. tall, dark and handsome in the corner.

Ino sighed. "No, we had a bit of a falling out over a boy but that doesn't matter." She waved a hand to dismiss to topic. "This picture here is from the spring festival two years ago right after you and Itachi started dating…" she trailed off as Sakura stared at the picture. She and Itachi were standing in front of a random stall, huddled close together with their arms around each other.

'_We look so… happy.' _Sakura thought as her fingers touched the page. Itachi watched her carefully, noting how her eyes lingered on his picture. He had kept quiet as Ino related the events behind each picture or when she asked a question. Tsunade had told him to keep an eye on her for any sign of adverse effects such as head aches.

"Look at the time, I have to get going. I'll come back later, Forehead. My lunch break is over." Ino sighed as she stood from the bed and gathered her bento. "Get some rest Sakura." She bid before exiting the room.

"See you later, Ino-chan." Sakura waved but her eyes never left the scrapbook. She turned the page and stopped. At the top -in big bold print- scrolled '**The Engagement Party**'. Pictures littered the pages before her eyes; pictures of members of the clan and friends she couldn't remember. But the picture that really grabbed her attention was one of her and Itachi.

In the picture, she and Itachi were facing each other, eyes locked on the others. Itachi's arms were wrapped around her waist with his forehead pressed to hers. Sakura, on the other hand, had one arm around his neck as her other hand lay on his cheek, showing off the flashy Uchiha engagement ring. Sakura looked up to Itachi and tossed the book aside.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you." She cried as she threw her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. Stunned, Itachi could only hold her as she wept.

"Can you remember anything from that night?" he asked softly when she calmed down. Sakura shook her head.

"I still can't remember anything, Itachi."

Itachi rubbed her back with one hand. "It's alright. Tsunade-sama said it would take some time but you'll start remembering things, eventually."

Sakura pulled back, emerald locking on onyx. "But I want to remember things now. I want to remember you."

He smiled at her, causing a pretty blush to rise up her cheeks. "You will, in time." She smiled at him, another glimpse of the old Sakura.

~xxx~

Mikoto walked the halls of the hospital. She had to leave on an errand before lunch, but now that she was back…

"Where would you like to go?" she heard Itachi ask.

"The courtyard outside my room, please." Sakura answered then the door opened and out rolled Sakura followed by Itachi. The wheelchair came to a halt as Mikoto walked up to them.

"I brought lunch if you're hungry." She smiled as Sakura beamed up at her.

"Great! I just got clearance to leave my room, we were going outside." She was starting to sound more like herself by the minute. Too bad Sakura couldn't remember anything other than her name and the mission she had been on.

They sat on one of the many benches in the small courtyard, each had a bento in their laps, eating happily under the afternoon sun.

"I will not be here tomorrow." Itachi said, disappointed with the news. "I have a mission."

Sakura set down her chopsticks. "Be careful Itachi." She whispered as she looked up at him. It was the same worried look she would give him before every mission.

"There's no need to worry Sakura-chan. Itachi has always come home unharmed." Mikoto said, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. Sakura gave a tiny smile and continued to eat her lunch.

"Mmm… that was really good, Mikoto-sama. I'm stuffed." Sakura said as she set her bento down.

"Are you going to eat the last of your dango?" Itachi asked, eyeing the sweet dessert.

"You can have it if you want, Itachi. I can't eat anymore." She answered with a giggle, watching as he picked up the stick and ate the remaining dango with one bite.

"Sakura-chan, it's time for your tests." Ino called as she walked up to the group. "Sorry to cut you lunch short."

"It is fine." Itachi said while he and Mikoto stood and cleaned up.

"We'll be around when you're done, Sakura-chan." The Uchiha matriarch shimmed as Ino began to wheel the rosette off.

~xxx~

"She can go home tomorrow but her will require help getting around for the first week." Tsunade said to Mikoto and Itachi.

"I will be home, I can take care of her." Mikoto said with a nod of the head.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Itachi asked as his eyes glided over to his sleeping fiancée.

"Her brain function has returned to normal, so it's only a matter of time before she starts remembering things. Other than that, she's perfectly fine now." Tsunade gave a warm smile. "I know you want to be here for her, Itachi, but I need you for this mission. We'll keep you posted on her progress."

It was then that Sakura turned in her sleep, whispering something that sounded like Itachi's name. He turned towards his sleeping fiancée with a light frown; his mission required him to be away for the next two weeks. She needed him here but the village needed him elsewhere; it was the toughest decision he had to make but he had to go. Her attackers were out there still, probably gloating about their 'victory'.

"I understand, Tsunade-sama." He said. It was time to go, he had packing to do and a mission to complete but first… he needed to day goodbye. Itachi crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry, Sakura, I'll be home soon." He whispered against the shell of her ear then kissed her forehead.

~xxx~

This couldn't be right. Itachi was best friends with… _him_? There had to have been a mistake somewhere in Mikoto's information. For this loud, arrogant and obnoxious man who pushed her along the road was the exact opposite of her dear Itachi.

"Shi-chan, not so loud… Sakura can't be stressed in her condition." Mikoto chided as she walked beside them. Sakura gave a sigh, silently thanking her. The man was definitely a handful.

"Ah-ha, sorry Mikoto-baa. I'm just happy Sakura's back, that's all." Shisui grinned.

"That's it!" Sakura about yelled as her hands gripped the wheels, effectively stopping the chair from going any farther. Hell, they were half way to the main house now, she was going to make it the rest of the way on her own (_thank you very much_, her mind added). With a mighty jerk, Sakura wheeled away. "I can take it from here, _Shi-chan."_ She smiled as the roof of the main house came into view. Mikoto giggled while following the rosette to the house.

"Stop by for dinner Shisui, I'm making your favorite." She called over her shoulder and to her surprise, when her reached the house, Fugaku was already helping Sakura into the house.

"Thanks, Fugaku-sama." Sakura beamed as he pushed her inside. "Is Shisui always that annoying?" she asked with a heavy sigh.

"Yes, he is." Fugaku said… with no room to question his words. Sakura laughed as he wheeled her to her room. Mikoto took over from there. She was asleep before she knew it.

"WELCOME HOME, SAKURA-SAMA!!"

Well… maybe a power nap would do for now.

~xxx~

Dinner was… eventful. Sakura kept to herself as did Fugaku while Mikoto and Shisui talked enough for all four of them.

"So, do ya remember anything yet?" Shisui asked with a mouthful of sushi.

"I, at least, remember my manners." She mumbled under her breath. Fugaku gave a snort, covering it with a cough.

"What was that, Pinky?"

"Pinky? Who are you calling Pinky, freeloader?" Sakura snapped back with a glare.

"There's the Sakura we know." Mikoto said with a warm smile.

"Huh?" she was confused. "I act like that… all of the time?"

"No, just with Shisui, Naruto and Kakashi."

"Oh..," this was just too confusing for her. Apparently, she was prone to mood swings. "I think I'll retire for the night. I feel a major headache brewing."


	3. Chapter 3

And The Beat Goes On

(**A/N: **Isn't this exciting? Well, for me, it is. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Someone asked me if there was going to be a villain in this story and the answer is YES!!! Just wait and see… muhaha.)

~xxx~

Sakura learned right away that she and Itachi shared a room… correction, they shared an entire _wing_ of the main house. Mikoto had told her that they had preferred staying close to his parents so that Sakura could be better acquainted with her duties. It made sense to her, she guessed. But… it was kind of lonely. Having a room to herself was fine but an entire wing was another matter altogether. As Sakura lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, she couldn't help but wonder what her life was like before the accident.

"In time." She whispered to the tan-colored walls. "I'll know in time." A goofy grin found it's way to her lips. "Ino was right; I bagged myself a hotty." Her eyes scanned the room for a moment, taking in everything there was to see.

A small desk sat under the bay window with the chair pulled out. One of Itachi's shirts lay across the back of the chair in a rumpled pile. Sakura had discovered half a dozen kunai in the top right drawer that she guessed were hers. Upon further inspection (which she had conducted earlier), Sakura found a box calk full of candy and ate a few of them to hold her over for dinner. Various scrolls and other papers were neatly stacked in the desk's other drawers, so she had abandoned that.

To the right of the desk was a dresser. She found Itachi's clothes in there… which is why she was currently dressed in one of his shirts. (What? It's legal! It's not like she's going to steal it… seriously, how far do you think she would get?) Sakura didn't feel like rooting through his underwear, so she left it alone and found his cologne on top of the dresser next to a picture of herself, Itachi and Sasuke… each giving the finger to the camera. She laughed at it then continued her rummaging.

On the far end of the room the bathroom, large and impeccably clean with white tiled walls and floor. A nice cream rug sat on the floor by the tub/shower with the clear curtain hanging open to one side. The bathroom smelled faintly of old spice and she loved it for some reason. The closet was the last thing she looked through. All of her clothes were neatly folded on the shelves or hanging on the rack. Shoes of all types, shapes and sizes lay neatly lined the back wall, within easy reach.

Back to matters at hand. Sakura sighed and pulled the comforter up to her chin. She thought the silk sheets were nice but man, the comforter was so warm… and let's not forget that they smelled like Itachi. Sakura guessed that she was laying on his side of the bed but she didn't want to move. The king sized bed was too comfortable for it's own good and Sakura found herself dozing off. Shrugging the blanket over her head, Sakura let sleep whisk her into a dreamless for much needed rest.

~xxx~

Sleep escaped him again for the third night in a row. It may have been Genma's snoring but Itachi had been able to sleep before this mission with Genma in the same room. So why not now?

"Sakura…" her name left his lips in a pleading whisper. He had left his confused fiancée in the capable hands of his mother. But he still wished he could be home for her. That wasn't all that kept him awake at night, no, it was the fact that her attacker was still at large. Sakura's description of the man did not bode well for their mission either. She had described the man as a monster, standing over seven feet tall with blue skin and blue hair. He wore a black robe adorned with red clouds… one word; Akatsuki.

That information posed so many questions and not a lot of answers. Why did they attack the team and why was Sakura the main target of their aggression? He still could find no rhyme or reason for the attack in the facts at hand. Even Suna was getting involved. Word made it's way to the Kazekage, who couldn't sit back and let this happen to another of his friends, and he sent out two teams. One meeting up with Itachi's team and the other headed straight to Konoha… Temari included. That did little to ease his thoughts. Itachi turned to lay on his back, the ceiling looked more entertaining than the stained walls of the rundown inn that hosted squad one. Yeah… he should have just stayed home.

"When this is over I'm requesting a desk job." He spat bitterly, remembering that Sakura was prone to nightmares. How was that going to pan out with him away from home for another week and a half? He sighed and reached into his vest pocket. Inside was a picture of Sakura she had given him a while ago. Itachi smiled a little at the memory.

_~Flashback~_

_Three weeks they spent together on a mission that was doomed to fail. They were supposed to portray a couple and infiltrate an enemy base that were terrorizing a small town northeast of Konoha. All had been fine until they had to put their 'relationship' to the test when she had been captured by the enemy -as planned by Itachi. Something happened, they weren't sure what, but by the time they returned home… they didn't want whatever relationship they had to end, and so they made it permanent. Sakura swore up and down that it was Tsunade's fault… but they weren't really complaining. _

_Then the time came when Itachi had to leave for a mission. An S-class solo mission. _

"_Itachi-kun!" Sakura hollered as she ran towards the village gates. Itachi turned to face her, his mask resting atop his head._

"_Sakura." He greeted when she caught up to him. It was just before dawn and he was supposed to leave now. _

"_How could you just leave without saying goodbye?" she glowed at him. _

"_I must go Sakura." He said with a tilt of the head._

"_That's not a proper goodbye, Itachi." Sakura snapped and crossed her arms over her chest. _

"_Am I supposed to sweep you off your feet and kiss you until you can no longer think clearly?" He asked with a smirk._

"_Where the hell did you get that harebrain idea?" she could have killed him if she didn't love him so much._

"_Your romance novels." He deadpanned. "I really must get going now." He turned to leave but she stopped him._

"_One second please, just for me?" she inquired as he turned toward her again. "I want you to have this… keep it with you and if you ever feel lonely, take a peek." Sakura said as she stuffed something into his pocket. "I know that you have a photographic memory… but it doesn't hurt to actually have a picture, right?" _

_He smiled softly and grabbed her hands in a gentle hold. "I will be home soon." He whispered and leaned down, placing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. When they pulled apart moments later, there was the lightest dusting of pink on her cheeks. _

"_Be careful out there, Itachi." She whispered against his lips that still hovered millimeters apart from hers. _

"_I will." He promised and disappeared into the trees._

_~End flashback~_

It seemed like it had happened in another lifetime but it was just some two years ago. He stared at her picture for a long moment before closing his eyes, kissing the picture and returning it to it's rightful spot; in the pocket just above his heart.

"Miss her that much?" a voice asked from the other side of the room. Shisui was not as stupid as some may think. Itachi stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning his gaze to his older cousin.

"I was just thinking." He responded giving nothing away.

"About Sakura and how much you'd rather be home than here?" the older Uchiha quipped with a smirk.

"Aa." Itachi responded and turned back to look at the ceiling. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'll say, if you're going to be off in Lala Land the entire time, I'm going to drag your ass all the way back to Konoha." Shisui glared at his cousin.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" he asked with a smirk. "Why are you still up anyway?"

"Who can sleep with Shiranui snoring as loud as a God farts?" he answered and snickered at Itachi's indignant snort. "Hey, I'll keep watch for a while -seeing is how I don't think I'm going to get any sleep as it stands." Shisui glared at Genma then, if looks could kill…

"Sakura-san will be fine. Her amnesia is temporary." Kiba said from the other side of the room. He had been sent to identify the other two attackers where as Shisui had been deployed after them by a day because he had to deliver a letter from Tsunade to Itachi regarding Sakura.

"Get some sleep, Itachi. You need it more than I do." Shisui said and stood to take over for Kiba.

~xxx~

Hyuuga Hinata sat at a low table with Tenten and Yamanaka Ino. They were waiting on Sakura, who was just given consent to leave the wheelchair. They decided that it would be best to get Sakura out of the house and have a little fun before Itachi stole her away when he got home on Friday. Hinata had it on good authority-- namely Naruto -- that Sakura seemed a little down the last couple of days, so the girls came up with a plan. Convincing Sakura, however, turned out to be a task and a half. It took Mikoto, a cup of green tea and twenty minutes to make Sakura see the light. And now…

"Oi! Forehead, we don't have all day!" Ino shouted as she propped her chin in her hands.

"Shut up, Ino!" Sakura snapped from behind her bedroom door. She emerged from her room and walked into the quaint tea area where her friends were seated. She wore a white shirt with a zebra-print vest, a pair of blue jeans and black pumps (_they said casual, _she thought).

"You look ridiculous. Let's go." Ino chimed as she stood.

"I look ridiculous? I'm not the one who looks like a bumblebee." Sakura had a point. Ino wore a black and yellow stripped dress.

"Anyway… the movie starts in ten minutes. We really need to get going." Tenten said as she and Hinata joined the dueling duo.

"Tenten is r-right. We should go." Hinata agreed with a nod. "B-besides, Temari is waiting for us." The girls left the house, waving goodbye to Mikoto, Fugaku and Sasuke as they left.

"You are certain it's fine for her to go?" Fugaku asked no one in particular.

"Ino and Hinata are both medics. Sakura will be alright." Sasuke said moving a pawn forward. He and Fugaku were on their third match… and he had yet to best his father.

Chick-flick… she should have known. Sakura spent the last three days watching action movies with Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi; definitely better than the movie they were watching now. She was going to say anything but man… it was boring. After the movie the girls walked to a newer restaurant that opened by the village's main gates.

"I hear Itachi comes home in three days." Temari said offhandedly watching as Sakura's eyes lit up.

"It's strange, my heart clearly remembers more than my brain." Sakura said with a thoughtful look. "I'm just waiting for it to catch up with the rest of me." She gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"I see you got your ring back, where was it? I asked every nurse to find it so I could give it to you." Ino said as she grabbed Sakura's left hand and studied the Uchiha's sacred ring.

"Kaa-san had it with her. Tsunade gave it to her, it was stuck in my shoe apparently." Sakura said with another shrug. Suddenly, there was a lot of commotion outside.

"Medic! We need a medic here!" Someone shouted. The girls stood and rushed outside.

~xxx~

It was time for them to start heading home. They hadn't come across anyone remotely close to the attackers and by the looks of it, they weren't going to either. So they left the area and headed home.

"Anxious to get home?" Shisui asked with a knowing smirk. Itachi did not respond. "I don't blame you."

"Focus, cousin. We are still on mission." Itachi snapped, he did not need reminders right now… nor ever.

"Sorry…" Shisui said quietly, he should have known better. A rustle in the bushes caught their attention and without warning and man charged the group, heading straight for Shisui. He managed to dodge and grasp Itachi's extended hand. Itachi swung around and kick, using centripetal force to launch Shisui back at the attacker.

"It's the blond from before." Kiba shouted as he used a summons scroll and Akamaru appeared. Genma was right behind him preparing to attack when another man, a red head, flanked from the rear and clobbered both men before they even knew what was happening.

"So, it's true… Uchiha's are harder to kill, un." The blond said with a wicked grin, hands digging into his pouch. "Heh, this'll be fun." Shisui and Itachi activated their Sharingan, fully intending to kill the blond before them.

"Shisui, position four." Itachi commanded softly. Shisui nodded and disappeared. Itachi reached for his katana, slowly pulling it from it's sheath. If the blond was able to see Itachi's face from under the mask… he would have died from fright.

"Aw, only one now? Where's the fun in that, un?"

"Diedara of Iwa…" Itachi hissed through clenched teeth. "Don't look so surprised, you are in the bingo book after all."

Diedara's hands came out of his pouches and two little birds appeared in the palms of his hands. He tossed one over his shoulder… towards Shisui. Diedara grinned like a madman.

"Kasu!"

"Shisui move!" Itachi commanded and he leaped in front of his cousin.

**BOOM**

A large explosion rocked the area. Diedara continued to grin as he made a hasty retreat to the skies.

"I got him, Sasori-danna." And the two Akatsuki members were gone in the blink of an eye.

"Itachi!" Shisui shouted as he held up his injured cousin. Oh how he wished Sakura was here right now.

"Taicho!" Genma and Kiba shouted as they rushed over.

"Let's head back home, he won't get healed just standing here." Shisui said as he hefted his cousin onto his back. "And no matter what happens, don't let Sakura see him like this." They were just a few hours away, they would have to double time it to get Itachi to the hospital. Kiba ran ahead of them to alert the medical staff. The team made it back in record time.

"Medic! We need a medic here!" Genma shouted to the gathering crowd.

~xxx~

The girls were out the door in the blink of an eye. Ino and Hinata moved to the front of the crowd while Temari and Tenten made room for them to work. Sakura stood off to the side watching everything with the on lookers.

"Ino, over here!" Shisui called over the crowed and watched as she and Hinata rushed over. "Itachi's hurt pretty bad." He whispered to them. The girls shared a look.

"Sakura's right over there, why didn't you take him to the hospital?" she whispered furiously, jabbing her finger in his chest.

"You two stop fighting." Hinata uncharacteristically yelled at them. "Ino help me."

Sakura watched in awe as Ino and Hinata started working on the fallen shinobi. One ANBU had taken off his mask. It was Shisui, so that meant…

"Shisui, where's Itachi?" Sakura hollered as she jogged over. He jumped out ahead of her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Let them work Sakura. Everything's going to be alright." He cooed. Something inside Sakura snapped and she wrenched free of his grasp. She ran over to Itachi and skidded to a halt next to Ino.

"Report!" she barked. Ino looked up, startled.

"Uh… um, burns, second and third degree. I don't have the skills needed to heal this." She said and looked over to Hinata who shook her head.

"Then stand back." Sakura growled and knelt next to Itachi's body. To their amazement, Sakura's hands started glowing with healing chakra. "We have to stabilize him before he can be moved." She started barking orders left, right and center all the while working on Itachi. Soon he was in good enough condition to get to the hospital.

~xxx~

Imagine Tsunade's surprise when the ANBU team strode in his Sakura at the helm relaying information and requesting an operating room. Tsunade quickly fell in step with the rosette and helped the girl in surgery. An hour later, they emerged from the OR with grins on their faces. Mikoto, Fugaku and Sasuke had been summoned some time ago and they had waited patiently with Shisui who told them everything that happened.

"He's going to be ok." Sakura smiled as she entered the room. The family breathed a sigh of relief while the hugged her in gratitude. But then Sakura's head started to hurt. She grasped at her temples to try to alleviate the pain. But it was just too much and she crumpled to the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Homecoming **

**(A/N: **Thank you all so much for your support. It's good to know I can keep all of you entertained… at least, until the end of the chapter. Ok, in thins chapter, things slow down… or so you think! Enjoy the show.)

~xxx~

It wasn't until the following afternoon that Itachi woke up. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed softly. It was Mikoto's dark eyes that brought Itachi to reality. Her warm gaze held his clouded sight tenderly as she smiled down at him.

"Good afternoon, Ita-chan. How do you feel?" she asked, brushing his raven locks back and behind his ear. He blinked.

"Kaa-san…?" he questioned softly, not really believing he was home. Mikoto nodded once then glanced to her right and back to him. Itachi followed her gaze to find Sakura sleeping in the neighboring bed with the coves tucked tightly around her. "What happened?" Itachi asked while trying to sit up. A firm hand clapped over his shoulder and gently pressed him back down.

"Rest, nii-san." Sasuke said giving Itachi's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Sakura…" Mikoto started, eyes brimming with pride-filled tears. "She saved your life." Itachi stared at her, unblinking eyes searching for any sign of deception.

"It's true." A voice said from the doorway. Yamanaka Ino quietly stepped into the room. "She nearly killed Shisui to get to you. It was like she snapped when she found out that you were the one laying on the ground."

"I'll say, my arms still hurt." Shisui complained as he entered the room. Itachi returned his gaze to the other bed where Sakura slept.

"Is she well?" he asked as he stared at her, silently willing her to wake. Ino shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Tsunade-sama says she suffering from the affects of remembering too much at once." That caught his attention. "She should wake up soon then we'll be able to tell what all she remembers…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Itachi's gaze softened the longer the looked at Sakura but he still worried for her. He closed his eyes, nodding once to show he heard her. Mikoto's hand found his with a reassuring squeeze.

"She'll be fine Ita-chan, you'll see." Itachi merely nodded again and went back to sleep.

~xxx~

She shifted in her sleep, turning to her the right to lay on her side only to find she couldn't move her arm. Emerald eyes flickered to life. Slivery light filled her vision as the moon's rays swept across the room. Her gaze turned to her hand that was held in place by another. Her eyes trailed upwards to find a mop of dark hair pooling over the side of the bed. Slowly, her left hand swept the dark hair away to find Itachi sleeping soundly next to her.

'_That can't be comfortable…' _she thought. He was hunched over in a chair with his head cocked to the side at her shoulder. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. Sakura closed her eyes, this seemed so familiar to her… but she still couldn't place it. She sighed softly placing her hand on his cheek before going back to sleep, her mind was still too hazy to think of much else. His even breathing soothed her into a dreamless sleep from which she didn't wake until the sun rose over the horizon. That's what Tsunade found when she walked in at dawn.

If she had a camera, she would have taken a picture. She smiled fondly at the sleeping pair, it was how she remembered them. Always happy, loving, smiling… inseparable. Itachi stirred, flexing his fingers flexing around Sakura's hand, light frown lining his lips as his onyx eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean to wake you." Itachi looked from her to Sakura, finally registering the warm palm against his cheek. A tiny smile found it's way to hips.

"It is fine." He whispered back, gently reaching up to brush Sakura's hair out of her face.

"I'll come back in a little while. You hungry?" she asked with a hand on the doorknob. Itachi inclined his head as if to say yes and she left. The only sound in the room was a soft click of the door closing. Sakura shifted, curling into a ball, pulling Itachi's hand close to her chest as she sighed.

"Thank you, saiai." He whispered and kissed her lips softly. Her eyes shifted behind her eyelids as Sakura sighed again and opened her eyes. Onyx met emerald and for a moment no one breathed.

"You're welcome, Itachi-kun." She breathed, a smile tugging at her lips at the sight of his wide eyes. "I remembered a couple of things."

~xxx~

Kakashi didn't know what to think when he, Naruto and Sasuke walked in with Mikoto hot on their heels. Itachi sat on the bed, full attention on the pink-haired girl who sat at the foot of his bed. On her end, Sakura talked softly about the things she remembered while they ate breakfast… still wearing bloodstained clothes, might I add. It's a good thing Mikoto always came prepared.

"Morning guys, Kaa-san." Sakura said merrily, turning her head to greet their wide-eyed faces. "I was just telling Itachi-kun some of the things that I remembered, come join us." She waved them over and put her chopsticks down, having wolfed down the meal Tsunade brought in for them.

Mikoto set a duffle bag down on the other bed and sat down next to it. "I've got some things here for you, when you're ready."

Sakura gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, Kaa-san." She turned her attention back to the boys who were waiting as patiently as possible to hare what she had to say. "Well, it's obvious that I remember being a medic." Sakura shrugged her shoulders at the statement, tilting her head to one side as her smile widened. "Things are still fuzzy but I remember you guys, all of you. I remember healing you before." She looked at Itachi when she said that. "I remember you had a nasty gash on your arm… and I remember the tingly feeling my chakra had when I was healing you."

He smile fondly at her. "Aa, we were on a mission in Kiri." Itachi sat up a little more, preparing to relate the events of that mission to her when Naruto cut in.

"Do you remember an of the missions we were on together? Like the one where we had to collect trash from the river and I slipped- OUCH!" Sasuke hit Naruto on the back of the head. "What the hell teme?!"

"You're too loud, dobe."

"Sorry Naruto, I don't remember that." Sakura said with a light frown. It did sound funny to her for some reason or another. "I better get cleaned up… I can smell myself." Her nose wrinkled to extenuate her point.

Naruto sniffed the air and clapped his hands over his nose. "Yeah, you definitely don't smell like roses right now."

**BAM**

"What the hell, Naruto?! You're not supposed to agree!" Sakura fumed as she cracked her knuckles. "Next time I'll add chakra!" She said as she slid off the bed and grabbed the bag Mikoto brought for her. Sakura disappeared into the bathroom while everyone glared at Naruto.

"Idiot." They said in unison minus Itachi, who stared intently at the bathroom door. She was definitely coming back to him. Slowly but surely, _his _Sakura was returning.

"Kaa-san, can you help me? The buttons on my vest are stuck." Sakura called as she poked her head out of the bathroom.

~xxx~

Tobi was an idiot, Diedara was gay (more than likely), Sasori… well, never mind about him and the Zombie Twins were just weird. Kisame sighed. Zetsu, Leader-sama and the chick were the only 'normal' ones, besides himself, it seemed. And now he was getting yelled at because Diedara fucked up his part of the mission… kill both Uchiha's, not put one in the hospital while the other got away scot-free.

"I'm very disappointed in you Kisame." Leader spoke in a calm voice. Ok, so, maybe he stretched the 'yelled at' part, but Leader-sama had a way of putting you in your place… with just a look. "As a senior member, I had expected you to carry out my orders to the fullest. Yet, the medic lived."

"It's not my fault they couldn't handle _their _part of the mission." Kisame all but spat as his beady eyes landed on the blond to his left, slightly happy that they were speaking to a holographic image of Leader-sama.

"Shut the hell up, fish face, un! You couldn't even take out the _girl." Diedara hollered, shaking his holographic fist at the taller shinobi. _

"Silence!" Leader commanded, glaring at the two of them. "Zetsu had informed me that Haruno Sakura has amnesia. That is not what I wanted but it is close enough." He said as he turned his head to Sasori. "Return to base. Hidan and Kakuzu are currently hunting down the Two-Tails as we speak." The members exchanged glances before nodding. "Zetsu will keep an eye on the medic for now. Kisame, you will go after Orochimaru's medic. For my plan to work, we must be rid of all higher ranking medics and shinobi. I will take care of the Hokage when the time comes."

And that was the end of the meeting. Leader-sama's image flickered and disappeared altogether along with his partner.

"Remind me to kill you when I get back." Kisame growled at Diedara.

"Catch me if you can, yeah." The blond hissed and vanished with Sasori.

"Good luck, Kisame-san. Tobi is a good boy." Cried the masked man as Kisame shimmered away, coming out of his trance in Wave Country. He had a ways to go to get to the Grass village. He knew the pet medic would be as slippery as the Sannin he served. Kisame stretched his neck and shouldered Samehada_. This was going to be a long trip._

~xxx~

"You really suck at this Sakura." Shisui smiled as he moved a bishop across the board.

"Shut up… I just have to get used to this again." Sakura snapped, studying the pieces on the board with a determined eye. They had been at this since she got home… three hours ago. Sakura was clear to leave but Itachi had to stay over night for observation. He would be able to come home tomorrow.

"Mikoto-baa said that you remembered something and that you cracked Naruto for saying you smelled." He chuckled as she moved a pawn forward, taking his knight.

"Want me to blast you a new one too?" she inquired as she looked up at him. Shisui's hands moved to defend himself.

"No thanks, I'm fine just the way I am."

"I beg to differ." Sakura glared. The man was a helpless flirt and had been smacked more times than she could count on one hand… just today. She looked back down at the board and moved another piece just as Fugaku walked into the room. "Check mate." She said with a smile.

"What? No way." Shisui looked over the board and sighed. "Yeah, you win." He waved his hand and began to reset the board.

"Mind if I play you?" Fugaku asked Sakura as Shisui stood.

"By all means, please." She smiled up at him. Shisui was a good player, but Fugaku was the best next to Itachi.

"It's good to see you doing well." He commented, moving a piece forward.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just glad Itachi's fine." She moved a pawn forward. Mikoto brought in tea but stayed to see the match and soon Sasuke was watching with her. It was like a battle field, pieces were disappearing left, right and center but Sakura was winning. Some twenty minutes later, Fugaku laid his king down, defeated.

"Very good, Sakura." He said then stood and left the room. She had been the only person, besides Itachi, to defeat him in a game of chess. "I would like a rematch later." Fugaku grumbled before he turned the corner.

"Way to go Sakura!" Shisui threw his arms up in the air as if he were praising her.

"Are you sure you're an Uchiha?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I guess I'll start on dinner." Mikoto commented with a smile. And everyone went about their business. Shisui bugged Sakura for the rest of the day, Sakura tried not to murder him, Mikoto knitted in the den, Sasuke went out on a date… with some girl Sakura didn't know at all and Fugaku retired early.

~xxx~

Sakura sat on the bed with her knees pulled to her chest, happy to have remembered something. Smiling into her knees, Sakura hugged Itachi's shirt to her frame. He would be home tomorrow and she was excited. And for the first time in two weeks, the room didn't feel so empty, so cold. Sakura glanced at the bag by the door and sighed softly. The duffle was packed with a change of clothes and some toiletries for Itachi. Not wanting to scramble for things in the morning, Sakura packed the bag after dinner; lovingly placing the items in the bag as she hummed in happiness.

But now she couldn't sleep. Too excited to lie down and close her eyes to the world. A knock sounded at the door, braking Sakura's trance.

"Come in." She said as she fixed the blankets to cover her bare legs. Sasuke pocked his head in the door.

"You going to bed already?" he stepped into the room and closed the door.

"I can't sleep… I'm too excited." Sakura admitted with a sheepish grin. Sasuke padded softly over and sat down next to her.

"Get some rest, Itachi hates it when you suffer. Even if it is loosing a few hours sleep." He whispered.

Sakura huffed. "I'll try but I can't guarantee anything." She smiled and scooted under the comforter. "Good night, Sasuke." Sakura turned over, facing away from him.

"Night Sakura…" he stood from the bed and clicked off the light… and quietly turned off the alarm clock. Walking to the door, Sasuke picked up the bag and left the room.

"You got it, right?" Shisui asked when Sasuke walked down the hall. Sasuke held up said bag and smirked.

~xxx~

Shisui tossed the bag to Itachi who eyed him curiously.

"She's still sleeping… if you want to surprise her." You see, Sasuke told Shisui that Sakura had seemed a little disheartened when she had to leave the hospital last night. So, Shisui hatched at plan to make the pink-haired girl happy. Thus the bag she had painstakingly put together for Itachi… and his early discharge from the hospital. It seemed Tsunade was in on it too.

Not wasting any time, Itachi went into the bathroom. A quick shower and shave later, Itachi stood in casual clothes walking out the hospital room to sign his release forms. Sakura had packed a nice black dress shirt, a pair of blue jeans, underwear and his favorite cologne along with a fresh razor and his shampoo and conditioner. He felt better than he had in the last two weeks and now he was going home… to Sakura.

~xxx~

"I can't believe I overslept!" Sakura screeched as she flung the covers to the side and ran into the bathroom. Showering as quickly as possible, Sakura rushed through her morning routine as she carelessly tossed everything around. Thanking the heavens she had set out her clothes the night before, Sakura dressed quickly and decided to forgo blow-drying her hair. Instead, she pulled her hair back and rolled it up into a tight bun.

Sakura made a b-line down the hall and ate a quick breakfast before rushing to the door. Mikoto smiled fondly as Sakura scurried out the door after breakfast… completely forgetting the bag she knew was no longer there. Sakura jogged across the porch, taking the steps two at a time and stopped. Walking up the road to the main house was Itachi and Shisui.

"Tachi-kun?" she whispered bringing her hands up to her chest and clasping them together. Itachi had stopped walking when she did, setting the bag down on the ground.

He opened his arms wide to her, a small smile on his lips. "Tadaima, Sakura-chan."

"Itachi!" she cried as she ran toward him, crashing into his broad chest as her arms pulled him to her. "Okaerinasai, Tachi-kun." Members of the clan had come to see what the ruckus was all about and they clapped and whistled for them.

"Let's go inside, Sakura." Itachi said as he bent down to pick up his bag but Sakura beat him to it.

"Shisui," Sakura warned, glaring at the older Uchiha. "Remind me to thank you later."She said as she cracked a smile and took Itachi's hand and led him inside_._


End file.
